Oil pan assemblies are mounted to the bottom portion of an engine block and are used to capture oil distributed through the engine. An oil filter is attached to the oil pan assembly for removing particulates from the oil. The oil pan assembly may include an intake pipe. The intake pipe has an intake disposed adjacent the bottom of the oil pan.
A pump may also be attached to the intake pipe for recirculating the captured oil. The oil is directed throughout the engine. As oil is distributed throughout the engine, the oil is heated and subjected to force resulting from the operation of the engine. For instance, the operation of moving engine parts such as the chain, oil jet, and balancer aerates the oil. Thus, the oil is frothy and entrained when received and collected by the oil pan. As such, the pump may not effectively redistribute the entrained oil. Accordingly, it remains desirable to have an oil pan assembly wherein the entrained oil is de-aerated so as to achieve a liquid form optimal for distribution through the pump. For use herein, the term “de-aerated” refers to the process of removing air from the oil and the term “entrained” refers to a condition of the oil wherein air bubbles are introduced into the oil.